PRESS RELEASE: For Immediate Release

PARADISE CITY ARTS FESTIVAL • MARLBOROUGH, MA

A highly selective, beautifully curated showcase for 175 outstanding artists and craft makers, this event is a “must-see” for lovers of the arts in the Greater Boston region and beyond.

Event Date: November 18-20, 2022

Marlborough, Massachusetts: November 18, 19, & 20 are the dates for the Fall Paradise City Arts Festival in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Held at the Royal Plaza Trade Center the weekend before Thanksgiving, this beautiful, festive event has been New England’s “kick off the holidays” tradition for more than twenty years.

Paradise City is a treasure-trove of gift ideas, one-of-a-kind home furnishings, fashion, jewelry and fine art. With two cafes, live music in the air, and the wonderful exhibit “Sweet Dreams” in the Sculpture Cafe, it’s a great way to spend a day and support the arts. This year’s event showcases an especially high-quality selection of painters, jewelers, fashion designers, and potters, some of them new to the show. It’s easy to find stocking stuffers — in every price range — that transcend expectations.

One aspect of the Paradise City Arts Festival that really sets it apart is the enormous range of the work on display. A blend of fine art and fine craft provides a synergy that can inspire collectors to look at something new. Attendees who come expecting to see just functional crafts find themselves impressed by the work of painters, sculptors, and printmakers. Paradise City is unusual in that it has successfully integrated fine art and handmade craft into one show where both are taken seriously.

The venue is easily accessible from all parts of New England via I-495 and features acres of free parking. A shuttle bus runs a continuous loop to and from the adjoining parking lots. Two cafés serve light meals, beverages, wine and beer, and desserts.

Special Themed Exhibit: “SWEET DREAMS”

We can’t have art without dreamers. From Hieronymus Bosch and William Blake to Leonora Carrington and Salvador Dalí, artists have used their dreams.as a source of visual splendor through which our waking world is seen anew. When we bring sweetness into the equation, we think of something precious, delicious, enjoyable, childlike, or in pictorial terms even candy colored.  

Paradise City’s artists and makers often combine “sweet” and “dreams” in their work. One will see fantastical landscapes with lollipop trees, and delightful pottery shaped and glazed not just for function but for the pure joy of making it. Meet sculptural creatures that clearly inhabit some other world, and home furnishings that incorporate sweet colors, cartoony shapes, polka dots or hearts. At Paradise City this November, unlock your dreams with a golden key on a chain, soar through them wearing a coat of many colors, and wake curled up on a chaise longue that is certainly the stuff of dreams. It’s all part and parcel of the themed exhibit in the Sculpture Café, “Sweet Dreams!”

In the Sculpture Café

The sunlit Sculpture Café is a meeting place, a gallery exhibition area, and a cozy spot to grab a drink or a sweet bite and take a break after your first pass through the show. Friends coming to the fair together often reconnect at one of the tables in the Sculpture Café for coffee or a glass of wine, a sweet treat, and to share the contents of their shopping bags. For food that’s savory and substantial, look to the Paradise Café in the rear of the hall for sandwiches, salads, hot soups and tasty daily specials.

Every day from noon to 4pm live music wafts from the café through the entire exhibition hall. From Motown and swing to classic jazz and original music, these artful and lively musicians enhance the Paradise City experience. The Café is also the location for “Sweet Dreams” and a great place to people-watch and share selfies and shots of the show on social media. 

MPSMA Benefit

The annual coat check and gift wrap station at the door benefits the Marlborough Public Schools Music Association through voluntary donations. The Association supports instrumental, vocal and dance groups in the local schools and after school programs. The members are the parents of the music students, the students themselves, music teachers and community supporters who have a strong belief in the importance of music education. Paradise City Arts Festivals have raised more than $500,000 over the years to benefit community causes.

Fast Facts

What: Paradise City Arts Festival in Marlborough, MA
175 juried artists from 20 states (and Germany) exhibiting original works in painting, art glass, ceramics, decorative fiber, fine furniture, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, photography, large-scale sculpture, wearable art and wood. With live music, special exhibits, and two dining options.

Where: The Royal Plaza Trade Center 181 Royal Plaza Drive (at Route 20W), Marlborough, MA 01752

Just 5 minutes north of the intersection of Mass Pike (I-90) and I-495, Marlborough is only 35 minutes from downtown Boston, and an easy drive from NH, RI, CT, ME and points west.

From all points, take I-495 to exit 63B (Route 20 West). The Royal Plaza Trade Center is about 1 mile on the rig

When: November 18, 19 & 20, 2022
Friday, November 18: 10am-5pm
Saturday, November 19: 10am-6pm
Sunday, November 20: 11am-5pm

Admission:
Adults: online $14, at box office $16. Students: $8. 12 and under free. Free Parking!
Tickets available online or at the box office.
Discount coupons and group tickets available online.
Free full color program with admission.

Complete show and travel information, online tickets and discounted admissions: paradisecityarts.com. For more information, call 800.511.9725